1. Institute on Community Integration

2. Check & Connect A comprehensive student engagement intervention Check & Connect: Enhancing School Completion through Student Engagement Minnesota School Psychologists Association Thursday, January 29, 2009 Sandra L. Christenson, Ph.D.

3. Institute on Community Integration Overview  Provide a context for student engagement and dropout  Describe Check & Connect  Evidence for the model  Procedures for implementation  Summary – future directions

4. Institute on Community Integration Student Engagement - the “bottom line” in school completion programs  McPartland (1994)  Provide opportunities for success in schoolwork  Communicate the relevance of education to future endeavors  Create a caring and supportive environment  Help students with personal problems  Dynarski and Gleason (2002)  Provided extra personal support for students  Created smaller and more personal settings  ABCs : Autonomy, Belonging, Competence

5. Institute on Community Integration Why Be Concerned About School Completion?  About 70% of all students in the nation graduate from high school with a regular diploma.  Of the students who graduate:  80% are Asian  76% are White  58% are Hispanic  53% are African American (Alliance for Excellent Education, June 2007)

6. Institute on Community Integration School Dropout – A Crisis?  High school completion rates range between 65% to 75% - sobering given limited employment and schooling opportunities  Aware of the status characteristics: Age, Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, SES, and Metro status and region  May be less aware that an F for each course increases the probability of dropout by 15%. (Levin & Belfield, 2007)

7. Institute on Community Integration Reasons for Dropping Out

8. Institute on Community Integration

9. Why do students say they drop out?  Problems getting along with teachers  Suspension or expulsion  Discipline policies perceived as unfair  Bad grades  Dislike for school  Friendships with peers who’ve dropped out  Inability to get into desired programs  Need to support family by working or providing day care to younger siblings (Bridgeland, Dilulio, & Morison, 2006)

10. Institute on Community Integration Consider also:  Graduation rate is one indicator included in AYP calculations for high schools, with the rate defined in terms of the percentage of ninth grade students who graduate with a standard diploma in four years.  There is some indication that required high-stakes graduation tests:  Differentially and negatively affect students of poor or ethnic minority backgrounds (Borg et al., 2007)  May actually increase the dropout rates among the most vulnerable for early school departure (e.g., those in poverty, English Learners, African-American, Latino youth; McNeil et al., 2008).

11. Institute on Community Integration Importance of graduation to what?  Merely keeping students in school until graduation is not sufficient. In some cases, students graduate without being college-ready or prepared to succeed in various post-secondary enrollment options (Johnson et al., 2002).  Seat time with support vs. acquisition of academic and social competencies  Curriculum alignment and rigor between secondary schools and postsecondary – habits of the mind

12. Institute on Community Integration David Brooks, Star Tribune, July 2, 2006 The dropout rates are astronomical because humans are not machines into which you can input data. They require emotion to process information. You take kids who didn’t benefit from stable, nurturing parental care and who have not learned how to form human attachments, and you stick them in a school that functions like a factory for information transmission, and the results are going to be terrible. Relationships, Relevance, Rigor

13. Institute on Community Integration The Check & Connect response is:  Engaging students only academically (time on task, work completion) and behaviorally (attendance) is not enough  Must consider students’ level of personal investment in learning (I can, I want to) and degree of social connectedness (I belong, peer and teacher support)  Socializing the learner – or fostering an identity as a learner – becomes critical

14. Institute on Community Integration What is Check & Connect?  A comprehensive intervention designed to enhance students’ engagement at school and with learning  Evidence-based, targeted intervention  Can’t change family circumstances for students, but we can strive to fuel students’ academic motivation and provide persistent support  Comprised of four main components

15. Institute on Community Integration Check & Connect Premise An important Premise of Check & Connect is: The shift in focus from preventing negative outcomes (dropout) to promoting positive outcomes (student competence, school success, and school completion).

16. Institute on Community Integration How Did Check & Connect Begin?  1990: Five-year development grant from the U.S. Department of Education, OSEP  Purpose: Develop, implement, evaluate, and refine an intervention for reducing dropout rates among middle school youth with disabilities  Partnership for School Success  Planned with Minneapolis School District Personnel  Implemented with 2 cohorts of students over 2 years

17. Institute on Community Integration Project Assumptions  Leaving school prior to graduation is not an instantaneous event  Solving the dropout problem will require a multifaceted effort of home, school, community, and youth  Students must be empowered to take control of their own behavior  Schools must be designed to reach out to families in partnership with the community

18. Institute on Community Integration Four Components  Mentor – who keeps education salient for students  Systematic Monitoring – the “check” component  Timely and individualized intervention – the “connect” component  Partnering with families – enhancing home- school communication and home support for learning

19. Institute on Community Integration Check and Connect Components  Check - systematic monitoring of students’ connection to school.  Connect – responding to students’ educational needs according to their type and level of risk for disengagement.  All targeted students receive basic interventions  Students showing high risk behaviors receive additional intensive interventions

20. Institute on Community Integration The Mentor – Component 3  Linchpin for Check & Connect  Increases social capital  Person in student’s life who keeps education salient  Provides social support for families (navigates school system and requirements; assists with communication)  Serves as an anchor point for students, families, teachers, and support personnel  Relationship building with the mentor who provides the persistent support and avenue for problem solving with the student.

21. Institute on Community Integration Component 4: Partner with Families  Enhance home-school communication  Foster home support for learning  Responsiveness to parents’ needs and questions

22. Institute on Community Integration In Check & Connect A mentor works with students and partners with families for a minimum of two years, regularly checking on the educational progress of the student, intervening in a timely manner to re- establish and maintain the student’s connection to school and learning and to enhance the student’s social and academic competence. Seven core intervention elements guide the actions of mentors.

23. Institute on Community Integration Seven Elements of Check & Connect 1.Relationships: Mutual trust and open communication, nurtured through a long-term commitment that is focused on student’s educational success. 2.Problem solving: Cognitive-behavioral approach to promote the acquisition of skills to resolve conflict constructively, encourage the search for solutions rather than a source of blame, and foster productive coping skills 3.Individualized, data-based intervention: Support that is tailored to individual students needs, based on level of engagement with school, associated influences of home and school, and the leveraging of local resources.

24. Institute on Community Integration 4.Affiliation with school and learning: Student access to and active participation in school-related activities and event. 5.Persistence-Plus: A persistent source of academic motivation, a continuity of familiarity with the youth and family, and a consistency in the message that “education is important for your future”. 6.A focus on alterable indicators of disengagement: Systematic check of warning signs of withdrawal (attendance, academic performance, behavior) that are readily available to school personnel and that can be altered through intervention. 7.Following students and families: Following highly mobile youth and families from school to school and program to program.

25. Institute on Community Integration Finn’s (1989) Participation- Identification Model

26. Institute on Community Integration Dropping out – a process of disengaging

27. Institute on Community Integration Demographic or Functional Risk Factors? Status  Age  Metro status and region  Disability  Socioeconomic status  Ethnicity  Age to Grade level  Gender Alterable  Attendance  Suspension  Attitude toward school  Extracurricular participation  Behavior  Homework  Grades  Retention

28. Institute on Community Integration Theoretical Underpinnings  Dropping out is the outcome of a long process of disengagement and alienation - not an instantaneous student decision.  Alterable indicators are useful for identification, guiding intervention, evaluating impact.  Dropping out is preceded by less severe types of withdrawal, including truancy, suspension and failing classes.  Early recognition of indicators of disengagement is critical for both prevention and intervention efforts.  Status indicators are useful for evaluating gap in outcomes among high risk populations.

29. Institute on Community Integration In Check & Connect  Two types of predictors/variables of dropout risk: Status and Alterable  Focused on factors that educators, students, parents, and communities can change and influence:  Student levels of engagement with school  School practices and policies on attendance, discipline, and parent outreach  Family support for learning  Access to and responsiveness of community resources

30. Institute on Community Integration Dropout Prevention or School Completion? Increasing the successful completion of school is much more than simply staying in school, and thus, much more than the dropout problem – it involves meeting the defined academic standards of the school, as well as underlying social and behavioral standards.

31. Institute on Community Integration The Engagement Construct  Four subtypes:  Academic  Behavioral  Cognitive  Affective  A common theme among effective practices is that they have a positive effect on the motivation of individual students because they address underlying psychological variables such as competence, control, beliefs about the value of education, and a sense of belonging. (NRC, 2004)

32. Institute on Community Integration Research on Engagement  Association among engagement, achievement and school behavior  Engaged students tend to earn higher grades, perform better on tests, report a sense of belonging, can set or respond to personal goals, persist on tasks (Fredericks, Blumenfeld,& Paris, 2004)  Engaged students perceive more support from teachers and peers, which leads to increased levels of engagement and adult support (Furrer et al., 2006)

33. Institute on Community Integration Research Designs and Evidence Treatment-control differences for secondary students with disabilities in longitudinal designs: Improved attendance (absences, tardies, skips) Improved social skills and homework completion Enrolled in school and making progress towards degree (credits earned) Higher graduation rates for five years

34. Institute on Community Integration Research Designs and Evidence  Four replication studies for elementary and secondary students with and without disabilities:  Student and Mentor perceptions of the relationship predicted how teachers rated academic engagement  High degree of teacher satisfaction with mentor and student performance (especially for sustained performance)  87% of parents were rated by teachers as more supportive of their children’s education.

35. Institute on Community Integration Research Designs and Evidence  Check & Connect has met the evidence-based standards of the WWC for staying and progressing in school (www.whatworksclearinghouse.gov)www.whatworksclearinghouse.gov  Congressionally-Reviewed Initiative To Identify Social Programs Backed By Top Tier Evidence  Coalition for Evidence-based Policy

36. Institute on Community Integration How is Check & Connect implemented?  Multiple Referral Criteria – Alterable predictors  Attendance e.g., absenteeism, skipping classes, tardiness to school  Social Behavioral Performance e.g., suspensions from school, dismissals, other consequences for inappropriate behaviors  Academic Performance e.g., credit accrual, course failures (literacy)

37. Institute on Community Integration Implementation  Select mentors  Persistence  Believe all students have abilities  Willingness to cooperate with families and school staff  Advocacy skills (negotiation, compromise, confrontation)  Organization (case management, documentation)  Paid positions on grants  Provided initial training, ongoing support/training – way for fidelity of implementation

38. Institute on Community Integration Set Criteria for Check Risk Factors  Tardiness5 or more  Absenteeism3 days or more  Behavior Referrals4 or more days  In-school suspension2 or more  Out-of-school suspension2 or more days  Grades1 F or 2 D’s  Detention4 or more Determines basic or intensive intervention

39. Institute on Community Integration Implementation  Begin checking and connecting – all within a persistence framework  Use of a monitoring sheet  Mentor is the standardized part of the intervention  Relationship is built over time, based on trust and familiarity:  Ongoing efforts (e.g., checking grades and attendance)  Informal connections (e.g., checking in with the student)

40. Institute on Community Integration Systematic Monitoring (the “check” component)  Number of absences  Number of tardies  Number of suspensions  Number of expulsions  Number of behavioral referrals  Number of failing classes  Number of credits accrued

41. Institute on Community Integration Timely and Individualized Intervention (the “connect” component)  Individualized not prescriptive using student’s needs, family circumstances, and availability of school and community resources as the basis for design  Some applications had tutoring, after school activities, or homework help - others did not

42. Institute on Community Integration Connect Basic Intervention  A deliberate conversation that involves:  Sharing monitoring data  Discussing the relevance of school for students’ goals  Practicing the five-step problem solving strategy to enhance students’ adaptation to schooling demands  Fostering opportunities for participation  Typically Occurs weekly

43. Institute on Community Integration Students must be empowered to take control of their behavior.  We use a five-step cognitive behavioral problem solving strategy:  Stop. Think about the problem.  What are some choices?  Choose one.  Do it.  How did it work? (Braswell & Bloomquist, 1991)  Help students integrate their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to meet schooling demands:  Coming to class on time, Attending classes regularly  Working hard in class  Completing assignments with accuracy  Getting passing grades – and improving grades

44. Institute on Community Integration Role of the Mentor  Help students deal with everyday demands by:  Facilitating opportunities for success in school work  Communicating the relevance of education to future endeavors  Creating a caring and support niche in the school environment  Helping students with personal problems, if only to lend an empathetic ear  Teach the behavior that is expected  Set clear goals and identify ways to succeed  Use of role playing, tutoring, model positive skills  Identify ways to connect student to the life of the school

45. Institute on Community Integration Personal Goal Setting – the ABCs  Mentors and the student identify the demands of the school environment and the expectations for students’ success in each course.  Request teacher input: What does the student have to do to be successful in this course? Consider task completion, quality of work, and classroom behaviors.  Mentors use teacher input to create scenarios relevant for problem solving practice (i.e., use of the five step plan) with students on a regular, consistent basis.  Meet with the student to set personal goals for the class where enhanced academic or behavioral improvement is desired.  Ongoing monitoring/self-monitoring

46. Institute on Community Integration Examples of Connect Interventions  Problem Solving:  Problem-solving sessions with student  Parent or parent-teacher problem-solving meetings  Individualized behavioral contracts  Alternatives for out-of-school suspensions  Academic Support:  Tutor-mentor  Individualized academic contract  Recreation/Community Service:  Access to after-school activities  Summer employment

47. Institute on Community Integration Connect Intensive Intervention for Risk Factors – Menu of Interventions  Truancy (e.g., absences, tardies, skipping)  Determine which classes the student skips. Is there a pattern? What perpetuates the pattern?  Suspensions (in-school and out-or-school)  Talk with student about reason for suspension and problem solve regarding what could be done differently next time.  Failing classes or behind in credits  Determine whether families need suggestions, resources, or support for helping with learning at home and, if so, provide it.

48. Institute on Community Integration Role of the Mentor Monitoring is essential for students at-risk of disengaging as a learner for two reasons...  Provides a systematic and efficient way to connect students with immediate interventions  Provides an essential link to students’ educational progress and performance

49. Institute on Community Integration Check & Connect  Persistence: There is someone who is not going to give up on the student or allow the student to be distracted from the importance of school.  Continuity: There is someone who knows the student’s needs and desires and is available across school years.  Consistency: The message is the same from all concerned adults.

50. Institute on Community Integration Persistence-Plus Message A caring adult wants you to...  learn  do the work  attend class regularly  be on time  express frustration constructively  stay in school

51. Institute on Community Integration Strengthen the Family-School Partnership  Mentors are a liaison, follow students and families, and connect with families through the student.  Mentors keep the focus of family-school connections on the student’s educational performance.  Mentors enhance communication with families:  Positive and solution-oriented  Information about policies and practices  Mentors create opportunities for dialogue:  Share information about helping students stay engaged  Responsive to families needs

52. Institute on Community Integration Home-School Communication  Call parents on a regular basis, not just when there are problems  Write notes to parents to let them know what is going on in school (make language simple and in family’s first language)  Make home visits regarding educational progress  Make home visits at least once a year for a positive reason  Find out whether parents need suggestions, resources, or support to help with student at home.  Directly invite parents to be partners  Work with school staff and community supports to offer parent education classes or workshops that families identify as being interesting or important

53. Institute on Community Integration In every way, mentors  invite, inform and are informed by, and include parents  are realistic: some families can’t be reached  Chain link fence  Kindergartner  Other school contact

54. Institute on Community Integration Examples of Check & Connect Applications  Teachers and Educational Assistants as Mentors  Americorps Volunteers as Mentors  Support Personnel (Counselors, Social Workers) as Mentors  Community Professionals (Police Officers) as Mentors

55. Institute on Community Integration Summary – Future Directions  Assess efficacy with high risk, nonspecial ed students  Adapting Check & Connect process to college readiness and postsecondary  Ramp up to Readiness  New IES Grant: Making the connection  Developing motivational home support for learning strategies  Initial Role in Motivating Children (Conveying expectations/values)  Motivational Support through Struggles (Persistence; Encouragement; and Problem solving)

56. Institute on Community Integration Intensive Targeted Universal

57. Institute on Community Integration The Future – efficacy in pbis and nonpbis schools  Targeted intervention intended to complement universal intervention initiatives of schools and districts  Database on student engagement – see handout  Designed to promote student engagement by providing persistent support to attain academic and behavioral standards and expectations for marginalized, disengaged students

58. Institute on Community Integration Contact Information Sandra L. Christenson, Ph.D. Birkmaier Professor of Educational Leadership University of Minnesota School Psychology Program 56 East River Road, 250 ESB Minneapolis, MN 55455 612-624-0037 chris002@umn.educhris002@umn.edu

59. Institute on Community Integration Check & Connect Information For more information about Check & Connect, including training options, contact the Institute on Community Integration, 866-434-0010 or e-mail checkandconnect@umn.edu checkandconnect@umn.edu To order a Check & Connect Manual go to: http://ici.umn.edu/checkandconnect/ For the website: www.ici.umn.edu/checkandconnect/

60. Institute on Community Integration Research and Implementation Team  Check & Connect  Many individuals: Mary Sinclair, Cammy Lehr, Martha Thurlow, Christine Hurley, David Evelo, Colleen Kaibel, Amy Reschly, Ann Mavis, Karen Stout and Research and Community Program Assistants  Theory and Measurement of Engagement  Jim Appleton, Amy Reschly, Joe Betts, Research Assistants, and SCRED and MPS personnel